Golf club heads with similar c.g.-neutral axis distance

ABSTRACT

A plurality of golf club heads wherein the difference in spin is minimized is disclosed herein. More specifically, the present invention discloses a plurality of fairway wood type golf club head with a volume of between about 110 cubic centimeters (cc) and about 250 cc, wherein the change in backspin between any two clubs within the plurality of metal wood type golf club heads is less than about 600 revolutions per minute (rpm). A plurality of golf clubs in accordance with the present invention may generally have all of its clubs maintain a center of gravity (CG) location that is less than about 8.0 mm away from a neutral axis of the golf club head regardless of the difference in loft of the specific golf club head within the plurality of golf club heads.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a plurality of golf clubheads wherein the difference in spin generated by each and every one ofthe golf club head is minimized. More specifically, the presentinvention relates to a plurality of metal wood type golf club heads witha volume of between about 110 cubic centimeters (cc) and about 250 cc,wherein the change in backspin between any two clubs within theplurality of metal wood type golf club heads is less than about 600revolutions per minute (rpm). Even more specifically, the presentinvention relates to a plurality of fairway wood type golf club headswherein all golf club heads have a Center of Gravity (CG) location thatis less than about 8.0 mm away from a neutral axis of the golf club headcreating a spin to loft ratio that decreases as the loft increases;resulting in a spin to loft ratio change of less than about 10rpm/degrees between the clubs.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In order to successfully navigate through the challenges of a golfcourse, a golfer may utilize different golf clubs designed to achievedifferent objectives encountered throughout the golf course. Forexample, one of the major objectives of a golfer during a round of golfis to drive a golf ball as far as they can. A driver type golf club isgenerally used to accomplish this objective by maximizing the distanceof a golf shot from a tee box utilizing a golf tee that improves thequality of contact with the golf ball. On the opposite end of thespectrum, one of the other objectives of golf is to accurately get thegolf ball into a cup to complete a hole. A putter type golf club isgenerally used to accomplish this second objective by gently guiding thegolf ball into the cup, thus requiring a maximum emphasis on accuracy.Between the two above mentioned objectives are numerous other objectivesrequiring a golfer to use a multitude of different clubs. Generallyspeaking, one of the other major objectives within the game of golf isto get a golf ball as close to the cup as possible, thus requiring abalance between distance and accuracy for the specific distance rangerequired. Iron type golf clubs have been the predominant golf club ofchoice for a golfer that wishes accomplish this third objectivementioned above, as iron type golf clubs strive for a balance ofaccuracy and distance of a golf shot depending on the exact distanceneeds of the golfer.

However, even with the existence of driver type golf club heads, irontype golf club heads, and putter type golf club heads, golf coursespresent numerous other challenges that may or may not be capable ofbeing addressed by the above mentioned clubs. For example, in additionto the difficulties in getting the golf ball from the tee box to thecup, golf courses may offer numerous additional challenges such as sandtraps, tall roughs, trees, lakes, rivers, oceans, waterfalls, long par5's, or even stone walls in the middle of a golf course that may requirespecialized golf clubs to help a golfer overcome these additionalchallenges. In order to address these additional challenges of the golfcourse, specialized golf clubs have been created to help a golfer tacklethese additional challenges of the golf course. The sand wedge, with itsheavy weight, sharper edges, and higher lofts, is one example of such aclub that makes it a easier for a golfer to escape the sand traps of agolf course. Fairway woods, on the other hand, have been developed tohelp the golfer address the difficulty encountered when he or she needsto hit a golf ball over a significantly long distance, especially whenthe golfer finds the golf ball at a location that does not allow the useof a golf tee.

Fairway woods are a particular type of golf club that, similar todrivers, places an emphasis on maximizing the distance of a golf shot.Fairway woods, however, are different than drivers in that they may beused to hit a golf ball resting on the ground with or without a golftee. Fairway woods, because of their need to be able to maximizeperformance off the ground without a golf tee, may generally have asmaller size, allowing the club to effectively get under and engage agolf ball resting on the ground.

Because of the success and wide acceptance of fairway wood type golfclubs in helping the golfer overcome one of the most common challengesof a golf course as mentioned above, numerous attempts have been madeimprove the performance of the fairway wood type golf club by loweringthe center of gravity of the club to provide a better ball flight andallow the golf club to better get under and engage a golf ball. U.S.Pat. No. 6,074,310 ('310 patent) to Ota provides one example of this bydisclosing a golf club head defining a face, a lower sole portion, anupper portion, and a side wall. The sole portion of the '310 patent isgenerally thicker than the upper portion, and preferably approximatelyone and one-third to six times as thick, resulting in a lower center ofgravity that allows a golfer to more easily swing the face of the clubhead under a golf ball.

Another way to improve the performance of a fairway wood is to create afairway wood type golf club head with a higher moment of inertia toprovide even more forgiveness. More specifically, the prior arttechnology could utilize strategic weight placement at extreme ends ofthe fairway wood type golf club head to prevent twisting of the golfclub head. This ability of a golf club head to resist twisting uponimpact may generally increase the moment of inertia of a golf club head,yielding a fairway wood type golf club head that is more accurateregardless of the impact location.

Due to the versatility and enhanced performance capabilities of fairwaywood type golf clubs, fairway woods have gained prominent acceptancewith golfers. In fact, golfers have found fairway woods so appealing,the golfing industry have expanded their fairway wood offerings toinclude multiple fairway woods with different lofts to help golfersachieve different types of golf shots all within the realm ofmaintaining the basic premise of hitting the golf ball a significantdistance. Because of the multiple offerings as well as their increasedperformance benefits, it is not uncommon for a golfer to carry multiplefairway woods to help him or her navigate the difficulties of a golfcourse. However, because of the inherent design limitations of fairwaywoods stemming from their smaller size, fairway woods that vary from oneanother in terms of loft may generally be accompanied by significantchanges in terms of its size, volume, and shape that could alter theperformance of the fairway wood.

Despite tremendous technological advancements within fairway woodtechnology to help the golfer navigate the added length of a golfcourse, the advancements within the fairway wood technology have been ina vacuum, focusing on individual clubs instead of controlling thevariables that deprive the entire set of fairway type golf clubs fromachieving the maximum distance that the club is capable of. Morespecifically, because of the difference in size, volume, and shape, theamount of spin generated by the higher lofted fairway wood type golfclubs may generally be significantly higher, robbing the higher loftedfairway wood type golf clubs of distance.

Hence, it can be seen from above there is a need in the field for aplurality of fairway woods that maximizes the distance of each and everysingle club within the set. More specifically, there is a need in thefield for a set of fairway woods that minimizes the spin variationbetween the different fairway wood type golf club heads despite the factthat each of the individual fairway wood type golf club heads may havedifferent lofts.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One aspect of the present invention is a plurality of golf club headscomprising a first golf club head and a second golf club head. The firstgolf club head further comprises a first striking face located at afront portion of the first golf club head and the first striking facehas a first loft angle of greater than about 14 degrees and less thanabout 24 degrees. The first striking face also has a first face centerdefining a first neutral axis normal to the first striking face passingthrough the first face center. The first golf club head also has a firstcenter of gravity located at a first CG location distance away from thefirst neutral axis. The second golf club head further comprises a secondstriking face located at a front portion of the second golf club headand the second striking face has a second loft angle of greater thanabout 14 degrees and less than about 24 degrees. The second strikingface also has a second face center defining a second neutral axis normalto the second striking face passing through the second face center. Thesecond golf club head also has a second center of gravity located at asecond CG location distance away from the second neutral axis. The firstgolf club head and the second golf club head both have a volume ofgreater than about 110 cc and less than about 250 cc, and the differencebetween the first CG location distance and the second CG locationdistance is less than about 1.00 mm. The CG location distance iscalculated from a line that runs normal to the neutral axis through theCG location.

In another aspect of the present invention is a golf club headcomprising a striking face located at a front portion of the golf clubhead and the striking face has a first loft angle of greater than about14 degrees and less than about 24 degrees. The striking face also has aface center defining a neutral axis normal to the striking face passingthrough the face center. The golf club head also has a center of gravitylocated at a CG location distance away from the neutral axis, whereinthe golf club head has a volume of greater than about 110 cc and lessthan about 250 cc, and wherein the CG location distance is less thanabout 8.0 mm. The CG location distance is calculated from a line thatruns normal to the neutral axis through the CG location.

In a further aspect of the present invention is a plurality of golf clubheads comprising a first golf club head and a second golf club head. Thefirst golf club head further comprises a first striking face located ata front portion of the first golf club head and the first striking facehas a first loft angle of greater than about 14 degrees and less thanabout 24 degrees. The first striking face also has a first face centerdefining a first neutral axis normal to the first striking face passingthrough the first face center. The first golf club head also has a firstcenter of gravity located at a first CG location distance away from thefirst neutral axis. The second golf club head further comprises a secondstriking face located at a front portion of the second golf club headand the second striking face has a second loft angle of greater thanabout 14 degrees and less than about 24 degrees. The second strikingface also has a second face center defining a second neutral axis normalto the second striking face passing through the second face center. Thesecond golf club head also has a second center of gravity located at asecond CG location distance away from the second neutral axis. The firstgolf club head and the second golf club head both have a volume ofgreater than about 110 cc and less than about 250 cc, and the differencein a volume to CG location distance ratio between the first golf clubhead and the second golf club head is less than about 50 cm², whereinthe volume to CG location distance ratio is defined as the volume of thegolf club head divided by the center of gravity location measured awayfrom the neutral axis. The CG location distance is calculated from aline that runs normal to the neutral axis through the CG location.

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with references to the followingdrawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will beapparent from the following description of the invention as illustratedin the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings, which areincorporated herein and form a part of the specification, further serveto explain the principles of the invention and to enable a personskilled in the pertinent art to make and use the invention.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a prior art 3 fairway wood type golfclub head;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a prior art 5 fairway wood type golfclub head;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a prior art 7 fairway wood type golfclub head;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a 3 fairway wood type golf club headin accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a 5 fairway wood type golf club headin accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a 7 fairway wood type golf club headin accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplatedmodes of carrying out the invention. The description is not to be takenin a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustratingthe general principles of the invention, since the scope of theinvention is best defined by the appended claims.

Various inventive features are described below that can each be usedindependently of one another or in combination with other features.However, any single inventive feature may not address any or all of theproblems discussed above or may only address one of the problemsdiscussed above. Further, one or more of the problems discussed abovemay not be fully addressed by any of the features described below.

FIGS. 1-3 shown here refer to a plurality of prior art golf club headswherein the Center of Gravity (CG) location is driven primarily by thesize and shape of the golf club heads 100, 200, and 300, causing thebackspin rate to fluctuate significantly between golf club heads 100,200, and 300. More specifically, because of the significant fluctuationin the backspin rate between golf club heads 100, 200, and 300, theperformance of these golf club heads are compromised, resulting in aloss of distance. Golf club head 100, shown here in FIG. 1, maygenerally resemble a prior art 3 fairway wood type golf club head with aloft of about 16 degrees. Golf club head 200, shown here in FIG. 2, maygenerally resemble a prior art 5 fairway wood type golf club head with aloft of about 18 degrees. Golf club head 300, shown here in FIG. 3, maygenerally resemble a prior art 7 fairway wood type golf club with a loftof about 20 degrees.

Turning now to FIG. 1, showing a prior art 3 fairway wood type golf clubhead 100, we can see that the 3 fairway wood type golf club head 100 mayhave a loft angle α. As already described above, a 3 fairway wood typegolf club head 100 may generally have a loft angle of about 16 degrees,indicating that it may generally be the least lofted club within the setof fairway wood type golf club heads. FIG. 1 also shows a CG 102location within the body of the golf club head 100. More specifically,the CG 102 is located at a “CG Location Distance” d1 away from a neutralaxis 104 of the golf club head 100. The neutral axis 104 of a golf clubhead 100 may generally be defined as the axis that passes through thecenter 106 of the striking face 110 of the golf club head 100, whilebeing normal to the striking face 110 that has a loft angle α. It isworth noting that in this prior art golf club head 100, the “CG LocationDistance” d1, as specifically referred to herein, signifies the locationof the CG 102 away from the neutral axis 104, measured from a point thatis normal to the neutral axis 104. “CG Location Distance” d1, asreferred to in this prior art embodiment in FIG. 1 may generally beabout 5.6 mm. Prior art 3 fairway wood type golf club head 100 maygenerally have a volume of about 165 cc. Finally, it may be worthwhileto note that the amount of backspin generated by this prior art 3fairway wood type golf club head 100 may generally be about 3600revolutions per minute (rpm), when the golf club head is swung with avelocity of about 80 to 85 miles per hour (mph) with an attack angle ofbetween about −2 degrees to about 2 degrees.

FIG. 2 shows a prior art 5 fairway wood type golf club head 200 with aloft angle β. As already described above, a 5 fairway wood type golfclub head 200 may generally have a loft angle of about 18 degrees,making it a balanced fairway wood type golf club head 200 in terms ofdistance and accuracy. It is worth noting that within the prior art, the“CG Location Distance” d2 between the CG 202 location and the neutralaxis 204 may generally be greater than “CG Location Distance” d1. Morespecifically, the “CG Location Distance” d2 may generally be about 7.5mm, causing this prior art 5 fairway wood type golf club head 200 togenerate significantly more backspin than a 3 fairway wood type golfclub head 100 shown in FIG. 1. This increase in backspin between the 5fairway wood type golf club head 200 and the 3 fairway wood type golfclub head 100 may be undesirable because excessive backspin deprives thegolf shot of distance. Prior art 5 fairway wood type golf club head 200may generally have a volume of about 160 cc. It may also be worthwhileto note that the amount of backspin generated by this prior art 5fairway wood type golf club head 200 may generally be about 4500 rpm,wherein the golf club head is swung with a velocity of about 80 to 85mph with an attack angle of between about −2 degrees to about 2 degrees.

FIG. 3 shows a prior art 7 fairway wood type golf club head 300 with aloft angle γ. Similar to what has already been discussed above, a 7fairway wood type golf club head 300 may generally have a loft angle ofabout 20 degrees, making it a high lofted fairway wood type golf clubhead 300. It is worth noting that within the prior art, the “CG LocationDistance” d3 between the CG 302 location and the neutral axis 304 maygenerally be greater than d1 or d2. More specifically, the “CG LocationDistance” d3 may generally be about 9.5 mm, causing this prior art 7fairway wood type golf club head 300 to generate significantly morebackspin than a 3 fairway wood type golf club head 100 and the 5 fairwaywood type golf club head 200 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. Prior art 7fairway wood type golf club head 300 may generally have a volume ofabout 150 cc. It may also be worthwhile to note that the amount ofbackspin generated by this prior art 7 fairway wood type golf club head300 may generally be about 5400 rpm, when the golf club head is swungwith a velocity of about 80 to 85 mph with an attack angle of betweenabout −2 degrees to about 2 degrees.

Looking at the amount of spin generated by the prior art fairway woodtype golf club heads 100, 200, and 300, one may observe that the 5fairway wood type golf club head 200 may generate about 900 rpm morebackspin than the 3 fairway wood type golf club head 100. Additionally,it may also be apparent from the above the 7 fairway wood type golf clubhead 300 also generates about 900 rpm more backspin than the 5 fairwaywood type golf club head 200. This dramatic increase in backspin betweenthe different clubs could be detrimental to the overall performance ofthese fairway wood type golf club heads as such a dramatic increase inbackspin may deprive the higher lofted fairway wood type golf club headsof distance. Additionally, with such a dramatic increase in backspinbetween the different clubs, the trajectory of a golf shot bit by thesedifferent clubs may become dramatically different, making them lesspredictable relative to each other.

Looking at FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, it can also be observed that prior artgolf clubs have a dramatic change in CG location distance from theneutral axis amongst the different fairway wood type golf clubs withinthe plurality of golf club heads. More specifically, the differencebetween the “CG location distance” d1, d2, and d3 may generally begreater than about 1.00 mm. Take for example, the difference between “CGLocation Distance” d1 and distance d2 may generally be about 1.74 mmwhile the “CG Location Distance” between d2 and d3 may generally beabout 2.17 mm. The dramatic change in CG location distances d1, d2, andd3 may be one of the factors that contributes to the undesirable effectdescribed above of having a large spin variation between the variousfairway wood type golf club heads. Having such a large spin variationmay be undesirable in a golf club because golf shots may tend to balloonwhen a higher lofted club generates too much spin, robbing the golfer ofdistance.

FIGS. 4-7, on the other hand, shows a plurality of fairway wood typegolf club heads in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention when a conscious effort has been taken tostrategically place the CG location at a location that is relativelyconstant throughout the plurality of fairway wood type golf club heads.More specifically, the CG location of the plurality of fairway wood typegolf club heads may generally all be within 8.0 mm away from the neutralaxis. Even more specifically, the change in the CG location distancefrom the neutral axis between any club within the plurality of fairwaywood type golf club heads may generally be less than about 1.25 mm, morepreferably less than about 1.0 mm, and most preferably less than about0.75 mm. Ultimately, a 3 fairway wood type golf club head 400 may have aCG 402 location distance d4 of about 7.2 mm, a 5 fairway wood type golfclub head 500 may have a CG 502 location distance d5 of about 7.7 mm,and a 7 fairway wood type golf club head 600 may have a CG 602 locationdistance d6 of about 7.9 mm away from a neutral axis of the fairway woodtype golf club head.

FIG. 4 shows a 3 fairway wood type golf club head 400 in accordance withan exemplary embodiment of the present invention with a loft angle Φ.Because FIG. 4 shows a 3 fairway wood type golf club head 400, the loftangle Φ in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention may generally be greater than about 14 degrees and less thanabout 18 degrees, more preferably about 16 degrees. FIG. 4 also showsthe CG 402 of the exemplary 3 fairway wood type golf club head 400 beingplaced at a “CG Location Distance” d4 away from the neutral axis 404.Similar to the above discussion, the neutral axis 404 of a golf clubhead 400 may generally be defined as the axis that passes through thecenter 406 of the striking face 410 of the golf club head 400, whilebeing normal to the striking face 110 that has a loft angle F. Here,within this current exemplary embodiment of the present invention, thedistance d4, signifying the CG 402 location distance away from theneutral axis 404, may generally be less than about 8.0 mm and greaterthan about 5.0 mm, most preferably about 7.2 mm. The volume of a 3fairway wood type golf club head 400 may generally be greater than about165 cc and less than about 250 cc, more preferably about 170 cc.Finally, the 3 fairway wood type golf club head 400 may generally have abackspin rate of about 3600 rpm when striking a golf ball with avelocity of about 80 mph to about 85 mph with an attack angle of betweenabout −2 degrees to about 2 degrees.

FIG. 5 shows a 5 fairway wood type golf club head 500 in accordance withan exemplary embodiment of the present invention with a loft angle θ.Because FIG. 5 shows a 5 fairway wood type golf club head 500, the loftangle θ in accordance with this exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention may generally be greater than about 16 degrees and less thanabout 20 degrees, more preferably about 18 degrees. FIG. 5 also showsthe CG 502 of the exemplary 5 fairway wood type golf club head 500 beingplaced at a “CG Location Distance” d5 away from the neutral axis 505.Here, within this current exemplary embodiment of the present invention,the distance d5 may generally be less than about 8.0 mm and greater thanabout 5.0 mm, most preferably about 7.7 mm. The volume of a 5 fairwaywood type golf club head 500 may generally be greater than about 160 ccand less than about 170 cc, more preferably about 165 cc. Finally, the 5fairway wood type golf club head 500 may generally have a backspin rateof about 3900 rpm when striking a golf ball with a velocity of about 80mph to about 85 mph with an attack angle of between about −2 degrees toabout 2 degrees.

FIG. 6 shows a 7 fairway wood type golf club head 600 in accordance withan exemplary embodiment of the present invention with a loft angle σ.Because FIG. 6 shows a 7 fairway wood type golf club head 600, the loftangle σ in accordance with this exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention may generally be greater than about 18 degrees and less thanabout 24 degrees, more preferably about 20 degrees. FIG. 6 also showsthe CG 602 of the exemplary 7 fairway wood type golf club head 600 beingplaced at a “CG Location Distance” d6 away from the neutral axis. Here,within this current exemplary embodiment of the present invention, thedistance d6 may generally be less than about 8.0 mm and greater thanabout 5.0 mm, most preferably about 7.9 mm. The volume of a 7 fairwaywood type golf club head 600 may generally be greater than about 110 ccand less than about 165 cc, more preferably about 159 cc. Finally, the 7fairway wood type golf club head 600 may generally have a backspin rateof about 4200 rpm when striking a golf ball with a velocity of about 80mph to about 85 mph with an attack angle of between about −2 degrees toabout 2 degrees.

Looking at the amount of spin generated by the fairway wood type golfclub heads 400, 500, and 600 in accordance with the exemplary embodimentof the present invention, it may be apparent that the amount of spingenerated by the 3 fairway wood type golf club head 400, the 5 fairwaywood type golf club head 500, and the 7 fairway wood type golf club head600 are substantially similar. More specifically the 5 fairway wood typegolf club head in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention 500 may generate only about 300 rpm more backspin than the 3fairway wood type golf club head 400 while the 7 fairway wood type golfclub head 600 may generate only about 300 rpm more backspin than the 5fairway wood type golf club head 500. Ultimately, within the pluralityof golf club heads in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention, the change in the amount of backspin between any twoclubs within the plurality of fairway wood type golf club head maygenerally be less than about 600 rpm. These backspin figures, whencompared to prior art fairway wood type golf club heads 100, 200, and300, may generally change significantly less. As previously mentioned,controlling the amount of backspin of a plurality of fairway wood typegolf club heads may be beneficial, as minimized spin variation providesmore distance for each and every single club within the set. In additionto providing more distance, the decrease in spin variation betweendifferent fairway wood type golf club heads may generally minimize thedistance gaps between the different clubs; which benefits a golfer byallowing him to execute a variety of different golf shots.

Another important improvement of fairway wood type golf club heads inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is thereduction in change of CG location distance away from the neutral axis.Having less of a variation of the CG location distance from the neutralaxis within a set of fairway wood type golf club 400, 500, and 600 maybe beneficial to control the excessive spin and ballooning effectgenerally associated with higher lofted fairway wood type golf clubheads. More specifically, the difference between any of the CG locationdistance d4, d5, and d6 within the plurality of golf club heads maygenerally be less than about 1.00 mm. Take for example, the differencebetween distance d4 and distance d5 may generally be about 0.49 mm whilethe distance between d5 and d6 may generally be about 0.3 mm. Even theCG location distance between d4 and d6 may generally be less than about0.79 mm. Because of the tighter variation of the location of the CGlocation away from the central axis, the spin rate difference betweenthe different clubs may generally be minimized; yielding in a maximizeddistance by reducing the ballooning effect in fairway type golf clubheads.

Controlling and minimizing the change in CG location distance betweenthe different fairway wood type golf club heads 400, 500, and 600 maygenerally be accomplished by placing the discretionary weight of thegolf club head at a location that helps move the CG location closer tothe neutral axis. More specifically, because of the fairway wood typegolf club heads have a smaller volume and size, there is sufficientdiscretionary weight within the golf club head to help shift thelocation of the CG closer to the neutral axis. However, having the CGlocation closer to the neutral axis can not be achieved merely by movingthe CG location lower and further back, as described by the prior art.Although moving the CG location lower may help bring the CG locationdistance closer to the neutral axis, moving the CG location further backas described in the prior art may actually bring the CG location awayfrom the neutral axis. A closer examination of the angle of the neutralaxis being normal to the loft angle of the striking face of the golfclub head may help explain this phenomenon, as the loft angle of thestriking face may generally cause the neutral axis to be lower towardsthe rear of the golf club head.

Considering the reduction in CG location distance as well as the spinfigures discussed above, an important performance ratio can be obtaineddescribing the relationship between the individual clubs within aplurality of fairway wood type golf club heads. This importantperformance ratio may generally be referred to as the Spin to Loft Ratioas shown below in Equation 1:

$\begin{matrix}{{{Spin}\mspace{14mu} {to}\mspace{14mu} {Loft}\mspace{14mu} {Ratio}} = \frac{Spin}{Loft}} & {{Eq}.\mspace{14mu} 1}\end{matrix}$

The Spin to Loft Ratio of a golf club head may be important to theperformance of a golf club head, as it captures the ability of a golfclub head to maintain distance and control of a golf club while limitingthe dreaded ballooning effect that tends to occur in a higher loftedfairway wood type golf club head. Based on the spin and loft numbersdiscussed above, A 3 fairway wood type golf club head 400 in accordancewith an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may generally havea spin to loft ratio of greater than about 229 rpm/degrees and less thanabout 230 rpm/degrees, more preferably about 225 rpm/degrees, a 5fairway wood type golf club head 500 in accordance with an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention may generally have a spin to loftratio of greater than about 210 rpm/degrees and less than about 220rpm/degrees, more preferably about 215 rpm/degrees, and a 7 fairway woodtype golf club head 600 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention may generally have a spin to loft ratio of greaterthan about 205 rpm/degrees and less than about 215 rpm/degrees, morepreferably about 210 rpm/degrees.

One interesting result of the plurality of golf club heads in accordancewith an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is that the Spinto Loft Ratio decreases as the loft of the each individual clubincreases. This decrease in Spin to Loft Ratio usually results becausethe set of fairway type golf club heads in accordance with the exemplaryembodiment of the present invention does a better job at maintaining theamount of spin generated by the different fairway type golf club headswithin the set. Additionally, the change in Spin to Loft Ratio betweenany two golf club heads within the set may generally be less than 14rpm/degrees, more preferably less than about 12 rpm/degrees, and mostpreferably less than about 10 rpm/degrees all without departing from thescope and content of the present invention.

Due to the fact the amount of spin generated by a fairway wood type golfclub head is so closely related to the CG location distance away fromthe neutral axis, maintaining this CG location away from the neutralaxis within a plurality set of fairway wood type golf club head is oneof the most important ways to control the undesirable excessive spin andballooning effect. One of the best ways to quantify the relationship ofhaving a consistent CG location distance through the plurality ofdifferent fairway wood type golf club heads is through a volume over CGLocation Distance Ratio shown below in Equation 2:

$\begin{matrix}{{{Volume}\mspace{14mu} {to}\mspace{14mu} {CG}\mspace{14mu} {Location}\mspace{14mu} {Distance}\mspace{14mu} {Ratio}} = \frac{Volume}{{CG}\mspace{14mu} {Distance}\mspace{14mu} {from}\mspace{14mu} {Neutral}\mspace{14mu} {Axis}}} & {{Eq}.\mspace{14mu} 2}\end{matrix}$

The volume to CG Location Distance Ratio may be important to a fairwaywood type golf club because it provides a easily measurable andquantifiable parameter in the form of distance of the CG location. A 3fairway wood type golf club head 400 in accordance with an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention may generally have a volume to CGlocation distance ratio of greater than about 225 cm² and less thanabout 245 cm², more preferably about 235 cm², 5 fairway wood type golfclub head 500 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment may generallyhave a volume to CG location distance ratio of greater than about 202cm² and less than about 222 cm², more preferably about 212 cm², and a 7fairway wood type golf club head 600 in accordance with an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention may generally have a volume to CGlocation distance ratio of greater than about 184 cm² and less thenabout 204 cm², most preferably about 194 cm².

Because the CG location distance away from the neutral axis is closelyrelated to the amount of spin generated by a fairway wood type golf clubhead, keeping the location of the CG less than about 8.0 mm away fromthe neutral axis regardless of the volume changes of the differentfairway wood type golf club head will ensure consistent backspincharacteristics throughout the plurality of fairway wood type golfclubs. More specifically, it is even more desirable to keep the changein Volume to CG Location Distance ratio less than about 50 cm² betweenany two clubs within the let, more preferably less than about 48 cm²,and most preferably less than about 46 cm², all without departing fromthe scope and content of the present invention.

Other than in the operating example, or unless otherwise expresslyspecified, all of the numerical ranges, amounts, values and percentagessuch as those for amounts of materials, moment of inertias, center ofgravity locations, loft, draft angles, various performance ratios, andothers in the foregoing portions of the specification may be read as ifprefaced by the word “about” even though the term “about” may notexpressly appear in the value, amount, or range. Accordingly, unlessindicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in thefollowing specification and attached claims are approximations that mayvary depending upon the desirable properties sought to be obtained bythe present invention. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limitthe application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of theclaims, each numerical parameter should at least be construed in lightof the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinaryrounding techniques.

Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forththe broad scope of the invention are approximations, the numericalvalues set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely aspossible. Any numerical value, however, inherently contains certainerrors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in theirrespective testing measurements. Furthermore, when numerical ranges ofvarying scope are set forth herein, it is contemplated that anycombination of these values inclusive of the recited values may be used.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates toexemplary embodiments of the present invention and that modificationsmay be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventionas set forth in the following claims.

1-19. (canceled)
 20. A plurality of golf club heads comprising: a first hollow golf club head having a first volume and comprising: a first striking face having a first loft angle and a first face center defining a first neutral axis normal to the first striking face and passing through the first face center; and a first center of gravity located at a first CG location distance away from the first neutral axis; and a second hollow golf club head having a second volume and comprising: a second striking face having a second loft angle greater than the first loft angle and having a second face center defining a second neutral axis normal to the second striking face and passing through the second face center; and a second center of gravity located at a second CG location distance away from the second neutral axis; and wherein a first volume to CG location distance ratio of the first hollow golf club head is greater than a second volume to CG location distance ratio of the second hollow golf club head, wherein the volume to CG location distance ratio is defined as the volume of a club head divided by the distance between the center of gravity location of the club head and the neutral axis of the club head.
 21. The plurality of golf club heads of claim 20, wherein the first and second hollow golf club heads each have a volume of greater than about 110 cc and less than about 250 cc.
 22. The plurality of golf club heads of claim 20, wherein the volume of the first hollow golf club head is different than the volume of the second hollow golf club head.
 23. The plurality of golf club heads of claim 22, wherein the volume of the first hollow golf club head is greater than the volume of the second hollow golf club head.
 24. The plurality of golf club heads of claim 20, wherein a difference between the first volume to CG location distance ratio and the second volume to CG location distance ratio is less than about 50 cm².
 25. The plurality of golf club heads of claim 24, wherein the difference between the first volume to CG location distance ratio and the second volume to CG location distance ratio is less than about 48 cm².
 26. The plurality of golf club heads of claim 25, wherein the difference between the first volume to CG location distance ratio and the second volume to CG location distance ratio is less than about 46 cm².
 27. The plurality of golf club heads of claim 20, wherein the first hollow golf club head has a volume to CG location distance ratio of greater than about 225 cm² and less than about 245 cm² and the second hollow golf club head has a volume to CG location distance ratio of greater than about 202 cm² and less than about 222 cm².
 28. The plurality of golf club heads of claim 27, wherein the first hollow golf club head has a volume to CG location distance ratio of about 235 cm² and the second hollow golf club head has a volume to CG location distance ratio of about 212 cm².
 29. The plurality of golf club heads of claim 20, wherein the first hollow golf club head has a volume to CG location distance ratio of greater than about 225 cm² and less than about 245 cm² and the second hollow golf club head has a volume to CG location distance ratio of greater than about 184 cm² and less than about 204 cm².
 30. The plurality of golf club heads of claim 29, wherein the first hollow golf club head has a volume to CG location distance ratio of about 235 cm² and the second hollow golf club head has a volume to CG location distance ratio of about 194 cm².
 31. The plurality of golf club heads of claim 20, wherein the first hollow golf club head has a volume to CG location distance ratio of greater than about 202 cm² and less than about 222 cm² and the second hollow golf club head has a volume to CG location distance ratio of greater than about 184 cm² and less than about 204 cm².
 32. The plurality of golf club heads of claim 31, wherein the first hollow golf club head has a volume to CG location distance ratio of about 212 cm² and the second hollow golf club head has a volume to CG location distance ratio of about 194 cm².
 33. The plurality of golf club heads of claim 20, wherein a difference between the first CG location distance and the second CG location distance is less than about 1.00 mm.
 34. The plurality of golf club heads of claim 33, wherein a difference between the first CG location distance and the second CG location distance is less than about 0.75 mm.
 35. The plurality of golf club heads of claim 20, wherein the first CG location distance and the second CG location distance are each greater than about 5.0 mm and less than about 8.0 mm.
 36. The plurality of golf club heads of claim 20, wherein each of the first and second loft angles of the first and second striking faces are between about 14 degrees and about 24 degrees.
 37. The plurality of golf club heads of claim 20, wherein the first CG location distance is defined as the distance between the first center of gravity location and the first neutral axis of the first hollow golf club head as measured along a line that runs normal from the first neutral axis to the first center of gravity location.
 38. The plurality of golf club heads of claim 20, wherein the second CG location distance is defined as the distance between the second center of gravity location and the second neutral axis of the second hollow golf club head as measured along a line that runs normal from the second neutral axis to the second center of gravity location. 